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NH Coastline Scenic Drive

NH is a beautiful state year round but in the summer, there is nothing better than to jump in the car or hop on the motorcycle and take a ride along the coastline. It take about three hours to ride the 18.5 mile long journey but this is definitely a day trip since there are places to stop along the way for sightseeing and seeing all the NH Seacoast Attractions and learning about NH history.

So let’s go over the route you will take and then I will tell you about some of the interesting places to stop along the way. My husband and I did this tour last July on our motorcycle. It was a beautiful ride and we could not have picked a better day. The sun was shining and the temperatures were perfect for riding.

The drive starts on Route 1A in Portsmouth and ends in Seabrook. Along the way, you will pass through the gorgeous towns of Rye, North Hampton and Hampton Beach. Then you will head on to Route 1B which is 4.5 miles long and will take you through New Castle. These towns will provide you with a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean. You will also see sandy beaches, historic sites and scenic views.

Starting in Portsmouth, you will travel through the historic area of Portsmouth where you will see Strawberry Banke and the historic Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion. As you continue on the route, you will pass through the towns of New Castle and Rye.

Route 1B is more of a side trip where you will encounter more scenery and historic places such as the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel which is rich in history as is Fort Constitution and Fort Stark. You will then enter the town of Rye where you will end up back on Route 1A.

In the town of Rye, there is the beautiful Odiorne State Park and the Seacoast Science Center along with state and local beaches. Traveling south, you will also pass North Hampton State Beach and the amazing Fuller Gardens. Ending your journey will be through the towns of Hampton and Seabrook.

So let’s talk about some of the places to see along your journey of the beautiful Seacoast. You will start in Portsmouth. Portsmouth is the largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 21, 233. It is a huge tourist area in the summer because of its historic heritage and seaport. There are several famous folks who hail from Portsmouth including actress Jean Kasem, famous lead singer of the heavy metal group Dio Ronnie James Dio, Samantha Brown who can be seen as the host of several Travel Channel shows, lawyer and statesman Daniel Webster and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence William Whipple.

Strawbery Banke is an outdoor historical museum. It is the oldest neighborhood in the state that was lived in by the Europeans. The property houses over 40 buildings that were built between the 17th and 19th centuries. There are 10 homes that are open for public viewing and each house has knowledgeable staff that explains the history and lifestyle of each home.

Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion is located in Portsmouth and is a 40 room exquisite mansion. It was the living space, office and working farm of Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. The mansion remains unchanged since it was built in 1750. In 1968, it was declared a National Historic Landmark.

The town of New Castle is a small quiet community with a 2010 census population of only 968. It is the smallest town in New Hampshire and is located completely on islands. It is the home of the United States Coast Guard Station. It also has a 31 acre recreation area on the Atlantic Ocean.

The town of Rye has quite a few famous residents. The town was established in 1623 and was the first settlement in the state. It was named Pannaway and its first resident was William Berry who became the selectman of Portsmouth in 1646. Some of Rye’s famous residents include Dan Brown who is the author of the Da Vinci Code and Liv Tyler who is the daughter of Aerosmith’s frontman, Steven Tyler.

The Wentworth by the Sea Hotel is located in the town of New Castle. It was built in 1874 by a distiller from Somerville, Massachusetts named Daniel Chase. In 1905, the hotel’s guests included Russian and Japanese delegates who ended the Treaty of Portsmouth which in turn ended the Russo-Japanese War. The hotel was used in the 1999 movie called In Dreams which starred Robert Downey Jr.

Hampton Beach is the busiest beach community in the state. Ocean Boulevard is the main street along the beach that houses shops, hotels, eateries and the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Hampton Beach State Park was named one out of four United States beaches to be named a Superstar beach because of the perfect water quality in 2011.

Re: NH Coastline Scenic Drive

Originally Posted by deanac24

NH is a beautiful state year round but in the summer, there is nothing better than to jump in the car or hop on the motorcycle and take a ride along the coastline. It take about three hours to ride the 18.5 mile long journey but this is definitely a day trip since there are places to stop along the way for sightseeing and learning about NH history.

So letís go over the route you will take and then I will tell you about some of the interesting places to stop along the way. My husband and I did this tour last July on our motorcycle. It was a beautiful ride and we could not have picked a better day. The sun was shining and the temperatures were perfect for riding.

The drive starts on Route 1A in Portsmouth and ends in Seabrook. Along the way, you will pass through the gorgeous towns of Rye, North Hampton and Hampton Beach. Then you will head on to Route 1B which is 4.5 miles long and will take you through New Castle. These towns will provide you with a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean. You will also see sandy beaches, historic sites and scenic views.

Starting in Portsmouth, you will travel through the historic area of Portsmouth where you will see Strawberry Banke and the historic Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion. As you continue on the route, you will pass through the towns of New Castle and Rye.

Route 1B is more of a side trip where you will encounter more scenery and historic places such as the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel which is rich in history as is Fort Constitution and Fort Stark. You will then enter the town of Rye where you will end up back on Route 1A.

In the town of Rye, there is the beautiful Odiorne State Park and the Seacoast Science Center along with state and local beaches. Traveling south, you will also pass North Hampton State Beach and the amazing Fuller Gardens. Ending your journey will be through the towns of Hampton and Seabrook.

So letís talk about some of the places to see along your journey of the beautiful Seacoast. You will start in Portsmouth. Portsmouth is the largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 21, 233. It is a huge tourist area in the summer because of its historic heritage and seaport. There are several famous folks who hail from Portsmouth including actress Jean Kasem, famous lead singer of the heavy metal group Dio Ronnie James Dio, Samantha Brown who can be seen as the host of several Travel Channel shows, lawyer and statesman Daniel Webster and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence William Whipple.

Strawbery Banke is an outdoor historical museum. It is the oldest neighborhood in the state that was lived in by the Europeans. The property houses over 40 buildings that were built between the 17th and 19th centuries. There are 10 homes that are open for public viewing and each house has knowledgeable staff that explains the history and lifestyle of each home.

Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion is located in Portsmouth and is a 40 room exquisite mansion. It was the living space, office and working farm of Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. The mansion remains unchanged since it was built in 1750. In 1968, it was declared a National Historic Landmark.

The town of New Castle is a small quiet community with a 2010 census population of only 968. It is the smallest town in New Hampshire and is located completely on islands. It is the home of the United States Coast Guard Station. It also has a 31 acre recreation area on the Atlantic Ocean.

The town of Rye has quite a few famous residents. The town was established in 1623 and was the first settlement in the state. It was named Pannaway and its first resident was William Berry who became the selectman of Portsmouth in 1646. Some of Ryeís famous residents include Dan Brown who is the author of the Da Vinci Code and Liv Tyler who is the daughter of Aerosmithís frontman, Steven Tyler.

The Wentworth by the Sea Hotel is located in the town of New Castle. It was built in 1874 by a distiller from Somerville, Massachusetts named Daniel Chase. In 1905, the hotelís guests included Russian and Japanese delegates who ended the Treaty of Portsmouth which in turn ended the Russo-Japanese War. The hotel was used in the 1999 movie called In Dreams which starred Robert Downey Jr.

Hampton Beach is the busiest beach community in the state. Ocean Boulevard is the main street along the beach that houses shops, hotels, eateries and the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Hampton Beach State Park was named one out of four United States beaches to be named a Superstar beach because of the perfect water quality in 2011.

Thanks for posting this! We are headed up to New Hampshire this summer and we were looking for a few ideas for scenic drives in NH, Maine and possibly Vermont, this fits our plans perfectly!

Re: NH Coastline Scenic Drive

Isn't there a campground on the beach on New Hampshire's seacoast? I remember camping right along the beach someplace. Maybe it was in Maine? I know there are many campground along the seacoast in Maine but I thought there was one in NH as well?